Mastria

A guitar line slowly comes in, there is no rush. That's how you feel from the moment you step onto the premises of Traces of the World. It's soothing, like the warmth of a room on a sunny day. The music creates a relaxed mood. Gianfranco GFN isn't going for high-octane entertainment or quick moves. Rather, it appears the instruments are talking to each other. The guitar and keys play against each other with the percussion playing a loose swaying beat below. The playing is spontaneous and natural, not over-rehearsed. The song is like a good trip, taking a break here, taking a break there. Parts increase and then decrease. A definite sense of passing places and people being met and left behind. The most noticeable aspect is the harmony of the styles. Jazz elements, soulful warmth and funky bounce. They are all in place but not overpowering the song. It still has plenty of life left and no one else is vying for attention. The second half is a tighter groove with increased ener...

Suddenly everyone is silent and someone says the thing everyone didn't want to say. That feeling is at the heart of Cheryl Craigie’s version of "What's Going On," the song Marvin Gaye first shared with the world in the seventies. It begins with a question that is still familiar today. Her voice is not loud or overpowering the song or trying to make a statement. It seems natural and relaxed, as if she's talking to someone and not performing for them. That honesty is what makes you click in before you really absorb the meaning of the words. It's the fact that she creates it all on her own. The sound of her voice and the music around her are all from one person. That makes the song feel more intimate, like someone's softly exploring their thoughts rather than being carefully built in a studio. It's a hard decision to make to record a song as popular as this one. Marvin Gaye's original has a lot of meaning for many already, and many people know what it...